“What Brings You To the Cross?”
Text: Ephesians 2:14-18
I. Welcome
II. Introduction
Our theme of “Spiritually Clean in 2015” demands that we return frequently to the cross. I want us to spend some time this morning at Calvary reflecting on the crucifixion of our Savior. But, I want to do this in a very unusual way to challenge our thinking. The title of our lesson is a question: “What Brings You To the Cross?” I could have asked, “What brings you to church today?” It is through the cross that Christ reconciled both Jews and Gentiles to God in one body – the church. The cross is the reason we should be here today! The playing field is level at the cross: there is neither male nor female, Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free – we are all one in Christ Jesus. In Acts 20:7, we read that on the first day of the week, the disciples came together to break bread – to partake of the Lord’s Supper – to remember the Lord’s death until He comes again. Is that not why we’re here today? We are part of God’s family as Christians – His adopted children. We are united by the cross and that is our reason for being here today. As we ask ourselves what brings us to the cross, I want us to seriously consider what brings us to this worship assembly today. Often, we pray in line with John 4:24 that our worship is in spirit and in truth. God knows our hearts – our attitudes – and He knows what brought us to worship Him today. I hope you’ll open your Bibles as we ask ourselves this question today. As always, we beg you to be like the Bereans in Acts 17:11 and search the scriptures daily to make sure these things are so.
III. Lesson
As we consider what brings us to the cross, I’m reminded of the arrest of Jesus after His betrayal. All four gospels record how Peter denied His lord that evening but I want us to briefly notice Matthew 26:57-58 – And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest’s courtyard. And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end. I wanted us to observe that we, like Peter, sometimes try to follow Jesus at a distance out of curiosity – to see what will happen. Undoubtedly, there were those at Mount Calvary that day out of curiosity. Listen to these curious onlookers in Mark 15:29-32 – And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself, and come down from the cross!”
Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Is it possible that we may be here this morning out of curiosity? I’m not talking about someone sincerely seeking the truth but one who wants to follow Jesus at a distance – not wanting to get too close to other believers. Or, one who wants to see how many mistakes I will make. Curiosity can make me a critic of everything we do today but that’s not the role of a worshiper. Secondly, are you here because of your conscience? You know that inner sense of what is right or wrong in one’s conduct or motives, impelling one toward right action. We may have been brought up attending worship services and learned this is what God wants us to do. I believe that is one of the lessons of Hebrews 10:25. But, our conscience can be good and still we are doing wrong. For example, the apostle Paul who had persecuted Christians and wreaked havoc on the church could still declare to his Jewish brethren in Acts 23:1 – “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.” But, I want us to think about the thief on the cross for a moment. Matthew and Mark both tell us that the robbers crucified with Jesus reviled Him. Yet, like Paul Harvey, Luke tells us the rest of the story – Luke 23: 39-42 – Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”
But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” One of the criminals knew right from wrong and his conscience bothered him. It was a good thing because we know how Jesus rewarded him! Are you here today because your conscience told you to? That motivation can be positive, negative or neutral but you have to decide that. Are you brought to the cross out of compassion? In our daily Bible reading, we’re on our second trip through the gospels. In fact, this week we’ll read the Passion narrative in John. I’ve confessed before that I don’t like to read through the crucifixion accounts because they trouble me. They drive home my unworthiness for what Christ did for me and it hurts to read what Jesus suffered for my sins. Can we imagine the emotional torture of the ladies who actually watched Jesus die on the cross? It is difficult to reflect on the cross and not be moved with compassion. Listen to the inspired prophet’s words in Isaiah 53:3-8 – He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.
He was taken from prison and from judgment,
And who will declare His generation?
For He was cut off from the land of the living;
For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.
These prophetic words penned over seven centuries before the crucifixion should move us with compassion. Even the centurion’s words at the death of Christ bespeak compassion – but compassion doesn’t necessarily transition into commitment. Are you here today because of compassion or because you were compelled? A lot of children are here because they were compelled by parents. Even this week I saw on Facebook the confession of someone who had a drug problem when they were young: “I was drug to church on Sunday morning. I was drug to church for weddings and funerals. I was drug to family reunions and community socials no matter the weather. I was drug by my ears when I was disrespectful to adults. I was also drug to the woodshed when I disobeyed my parents, told a lie, brought home a bad report card, did not speak with respect, spoke ill of the teacher or the preacher, or if I didn’t put forth my best effort in everything that was asked of me.” It goes on with more “drugs” and concludes America would be a better place today if today’s children had this kind of drug problem. There are times when we need to be compelled to do things. Sometimes spouses are compelled to be here. But, I’m reminded of someone who was compelled to climb Mount Calvary. All three synoptic gospels tell about Simon of Cyrene and Mark adds that he was the father of Alexander and Rufus. Notice Matthew 27:32 – Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear His cross. Evidently Simon was in the wrong place at the wrong time as the soldiers brought Jesus out of the Praetorium en route to Golgotha. This word translated “compelled” appears two other times in the New Testament – in the parallel account of Mark 15:21 and in Matthew 5:41. It means “forced into service.” If you are here this morning because you were compelled, let it be a good thing. Aren’t you glad you were compelled to brush your teeth when you were little? After all is said and done, we should be here because of the crucified Christ. Remember Jesus’ words in John 12:32? “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” Then the Holy Spirit explains the meaning: This He said, signifying by what death He would die. We should be drawn to the cross just as we should be drawn every Lord’s Day to assemble with the saints and remember our Savior’s death. There’s nothing attractive about the cross. It’s crude and cruel. It’s filthy and unsanitary. And, yet we have made it sterile – so sterile that the ugliness of sin has been hidden. We need to see the ugliness to appreciate the attraction of the crucified Christ. Do you remember what the apostle Paul wrote in Romans 1:16? For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. Paul then defined the gospel as the death, burial and resurrection of Christ in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. But I want us to turn to 1 Corinthians 1:17-18 and notice something else Paul wrote. Remember Paul is addressing divisions in the church at Corinth based on preachers. He’s not denigrating the need for baptism but that he didn’t want anyone thinking they were special because the apostle Paul baptized them. For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. The primary reason we should be here today – the primary attraction of the cross is the crucified Christ. But, we want to share one other reason we are brought to the cross – one other reason we’re here today and that is a combination of any or all of these.
IV. Conclusion/Invitation
Only you and God know the real reason you are drawn to the cross of Calvary. Only you and God and perhaps a parent know why you’re here in this assembly this morning. We’ve looked at six possibilities and there’s no right or wrong reasons as long as the crucified Christ is included. If you believe in the message of the cross but have never availed yourself of its saving power, it’s very simple to do so. We must repent of our sins and confess the name of Jesus – Acts 2:38; Matthew 10:32. Now notice Romans 6:3-4 – Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. That’s how we obey the gospel – the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord. Sadly, we will sin again and need the blood of Christ to cleanse us. Thankfully, we have an advocate to plead our case before the Father. But, sometimes, our sins are of such a public nature that we need to confess them in a public way to obtain forgiveness (1 John 1:9). Reconciliation to God is through the cross and Jesus invites us there today as we stand and sing.
